Present invention relates to a stereoscopic-image game playing apparatus used for the commercial and domestic purposes.
Generally, a conventional stereoscopic-image game playing apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-12777 displays a screen image for right eye (hereinafter referred to as "screen image (R)") and a screen image for left eye (hereinafter referred to as "screen image (L)") on an image display screen in a time-divisional manner. A player sees the screen image (R) with the right eye, and the screen image (L) with the left eye, by wearing glasses having a function for separating the screen images to the right eye and left eye of the player. As a result, the player can see a stereoscopic image.
FIG. 1 shows one example of the construction of the conventional stereoscopic-image game playing apparatus. Reference numeral 60 denotes glasses having a function for separating the screen images to the right eye and the left eye of the player; 61a and 61b, liquid crystal shutters; 62, a synchronous circuit; and 63, a color CRT as an image display device.
The operation of the conventional stereoscopic-image game playing apparatus having the above construction will be described. The color CRT 63 alternatively displays the screen image (R) and the screen image (L) in a time-divisional manner. The synchronous circuit 62 controls the glasses 60 so that only when the screen image (R) is displayed, the liquid crystal shutter 61a opens to pass the light from the screen image (R), while only when the screen image (L) is displayed, the liquid crystal shutter 61b opens to pass the light from the screen image (L). The player wearing the glasses 60 sees the screen image (R) with the right eye and the screen image (L) with the left eye, thus is given stereoscopic vision.
However, according to the inventors of the present invention, to cause the player to see the screen image (R) with the right eye and the screen image (L) with the left eye independently, the above conventional stereoscopic-image game playing apparatus always requires glasses for separating the screen images to the right eye and the left eye of the player. The glasses bother the player.
Further, the screen image (R) and the screen image (L) must be alternatively displayed in a time-divisional manner, flicker occurred while displaying the images disturbs the stereoscopic vision.
Moreover, if the stereoscopic-image game playing apparatus is used in such a game spot where many and unspecified persons gather, a problem occurs because the glasses might be stolen. For this reason, only a few stereoscopic-image game playing apparatuses have been put into practical use.